Fence



(No Model.)

W. E. BROCK.

FENCE. No. 304,496. Patented Sept. Z, 1884.'

@may ,Wl @@'f' la N. PETER$ Pholwmhogmpner. wnuhingion. D.C,

Unirse STATES 4FENCE.

SFECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 304,496, datedSeptember 2, 1884.

v Application lilcd December 17, 1883. (No model.)

To all who/1t it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, VILLIAM E; BRoox, of Dunellen, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and use- 5 fulImprovement in Fences, and I hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. s

rol The object of this invention is to utilize branches of trees,brush-wood, and other small and refuse timber for the construction offences. Timber of this description has not heretofore been applicablefor fences as the same have hitherto been constructed, and has beeneither wasted or used for fuel; but by my invention this waste product,consisting of thin pieces and short lengths, can easily and at littleex# pense be utilized in constructing neat, strong, 2o and durablefences, which are as desirable in all respects as those constructed ofvaluable timber. My said invention is especially useful in thoselocalities where the timber growing upon the lands consists chiefly orentirely of underbrush, and in such localitiesis adapted to take theplace ofthe more expensive and less durable wire fences which are soextensivel y used; but it isalso useful in localities which are moreheavily timbered, as those 3o portions of the timber which have usuallybeen allowed to goto waste can be used in the construction of fences atlittle expense, and the more valuable portions hitherto used for makingfences can be used for other purposes or sold.

The invention consists in a fence having its bar or bars made ofseparate short lengths'of wood, connected at their ends by wire links,said lengths each being beveled or rounded at 4o both ends, and the barsthus constructed being attached to upright posts, all as hereinafterparticularly set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 rep# resents a portion of a fenceconstructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a portion of one of thebars. Figs. 3 and et are detached views, on an enlarged scale, ofthewire links employed, and Fig. 5 is a portion of a bar and a post,showing modifications ofthe 5o devices for connecting thelengths andattaching thc bars to the posts. Fig; 6 is a diagram, hereinafterexplained. I

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the severalfigures.

A A A are the separate short lengths of which the bar is composed, andwhich may be pieces of branches or of underbrush, or other small timberwhich' has hitherto been allowed to go to waste. These pieces are sawedinto suitable lengths of, say, twelve to twenty-four 6o inches, more orless, and both ends of each are beveled or rounded, as shown, and at ashort distance from each end a hole is bored through them transverselyto receive the l shanks of wire links B or B. The wire links B B may bemade either in one piece or in two pieces, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.The preferred form is shown in Fig. 3, the same being composed of twoseparate but similar pieces of wire, each of which is bent at rightangles 7o at about its center, and each has a loop, a a', formed at oneend. In applying this link the shanks b b', which are straight, arepassed through the holes above mentioned in the ends of adjoininglengths A, and the end of the one passed through the loop a or a of theother, and then turned or twisted over said loop, as shown. rIhe formshown in Fig. 4 is similar, except that it is made in one piece insteadof two. In applying this the shank b2 8o is passed through the hole inone of the lengths A. The portion e is then bent at right angles to b2,and the shank b3 bent at right angles to the latter and passed throughthe hole in the adjoining length A, and the end of the same 8 5 passedthrough the loop a3 and turned back or twisted, as in the former case.The adjoining lengths A are thus pivoted to each other, and the vbevelson opposite ends of each are set at righs angles to each other, and eachjoint ar- 9o ranged to swing at right angles to the next` joint loneither side thereof, thereby imparting a great degree of flexibility.

C C represent the posts, which may be of the ordinary kind, and set inthe ground in the ordinary manner, and may be either round or angular incross-section. Ordinarily -I attach the bars to the posts by passingthem through mortises cut in the latter in the ordinary manner; but, if'preferred, they may be 10o attached by means of staples f, or by aholdfast, g, or ring having a shank adapted to be driven into the post,as shown in Fig. 5, or they may be attached by nailing them to thepost-s, as at h, Fig. 1.

The bevels on the ends of each length A being at right angles to eachother, as shown, and alternate joints being pivoted so that they swingin directions which are at right angles the one to the other, asdescribed, a great degree of iexibility is obtained, and whenever anypressure is brought to bear upon a bar from any direction it will yieldto such presS- ure, and hence the strain will be mainly in alongitudinal direction, or lengthwise of the bar, as in the case of achain, so that comparatively very light timber may be used for the bars.This construction also admits of the bars being very closely andeompactly packed into convenient form for transportation, as may be seenby reference to the diagram, Fig. 6, by which it will be seen that thelengths marked l and 2 will lie side by side when folded, and that 3will lie on top of 2 and 4 on top of l, and so on for any number oflengths, which can thus bc folded into a rectangular bundle.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of link, i

consisting of a flat piece of metal, m, let into the ends of adjoininglengths A, and provided with perforations near its ends, through whichthe pins n n are passed, the ends of the latter being turned back, asshown, after being inserted.

I am aware that a fence has been made of lengths or strips of wood,barbed and joined at their ends with wire links or couplings; but inthat the ends are not beveled,` but cut oil' square, and the wirecouplings would have to be of undue length, (thereby weakening thefence,) in order to permit the lengths to be folded side by side.Moreover, in said fence upright strips of wood are attached to the linksor couplings, and consequently the fence is not flexible under avertical pressure. Such construction I do not claim, but herebydisclaim, one object of my improvement being to make the fence flexibleboth horizontally and vertically, or in any direction between the two,and to bring the ends of the lengths close together.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- A fenccbar composed of separate shortlengths of wood, A, having their ends beveled at right angles the one tothe other, said lengths being connected by wire links B, constructed asdescribed, so that adj oininglengths swing in directions that are atright angles to each other, as and for the purposes set forth.

VILLIAM E. BROCK.

Vitnesses:

M. H. TorriNG, JonN S. THORNTON.

